


Time's Present

by tayryn



Category: The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2015)
Genre: F/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-25
Updated: 2015-08-25
Packaged: 2018-04-17 03:26:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,158
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4650477
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tayryn/pseuds/tayryn
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's finally their time.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Time's Present

**Author's Note:**

  * For [fuckyeahdench](https://archiveofourown.org/users/fuckyeahdench/gifts).



> A sequel to [No Present Like The Time](http://archiveofourown.org/works/3529841)

“Evelyn?”

She turned from the window, from her contemplation of the courtyard, and the activity below, at the soft call of her name.

“Are you ready?”

Evelyn smiled, and nodded. “Yes. Are you?”

“Evelyn, I’ve been ready for the last ten months.”

She chuckled, a soft blush colouring her cheeks. She was well aware that she’d been the one who had been holding back.

“You… you are sure about this?”

She crossed the room, and laid her hands on his chest as she looked up at him. “Yes, Douglas. I am very sure.”

Douglas covered her hands with his, and smiled down at her. “Good.”

They stood there for several moments, simply staring at each other, and Evelyn felt a giddy rush of pleasure at the love and affection she could see in Douglas’ blue eyes.

Any lingering doubts she may have had, washed away in that instant.

She loved him. She loved him more than she had thought possible.

And, he loved her.

Any fool could see that (as Muriel had been fond of telling her at every opportunity). It radiated from him in waves.

Douglas squeezed her hands. “Are you nervous?”

Evelyn shook her head, then tilted it to the side as she regarded him. “No. I’ve not been nervous since waking up in your arms that first morning.”

**~*ED*~**

Evelyn woke to the feeling of being watched.

Her eyes fluttered open to find Douglas propped up on his elbow beside her, watching her. His eyes were soft, sleepy, as if he’d only just woken up himself; the side of his face red, and lined from the creases in the pillow.

She smiled up at him. “Morning,” she murmured.

“Good morning,” Douglas replied quietly, then leaned down to give her a soft kiss.

“Did you sleep all right?” Evelyn asked, rolling onto her side to face him.

“I did,” he answered. “Did you?”

She nodded, and hummed an affirmative.

“Thank you for last night,” he said, a tender look on his face. “Thank you for letting me hold you.”

Evelyn’s heart melted, both at his words, and the slight blush that crept over his cheeks. He truly was such a dear, sweet man. “Thank you for staying.”

“I was thinking,” Douglas began after a moment, “that we might give Sonny and Sunaina a send-off of some kind. If that’s all right with you.”

“I think that’s a wonderful idea. What did you have in mind?”

His brow furrowed slightly, and the earlier blush deepened. “I… I’m not sure yet.”

Evelyn chuckled, and lifted her hand to cup his cheek. “We’ll figure something out.”

**~*DE*~**

Evelyn smiled at the memory.

There had been no awkwardness that first morning, as she’d secretly feared might happen. She’d woken up to his smiling face, and had, once again, felt only the rightness of her decision to further their relationship.

“Is everyone here?” she asked.

“Yes,” Douglas answered with a nod of his head.

“Good,” Evelyn said, then took a deep breath.

“You’re sure you’re not nervous?”

Evelyn laughed softly, and nodded. “I’m very sure. I am actually quite anxious.”

“Now that is what I like to hear.” Douglas grinned at her, and she felt her heart skip a beat.

She loved his smile. Loved the way it crinkled the corners of his eyes; eyes that sparkled brightly at her, and were filled with so much love it took her breath away.

“Are you nervous?” Evelyn asked.

Douglas shook his head. “I’ve been waiting for this day for quite a while.”

“I know,” she replied, curling her fingers in his jacket. “I’m sorry I - ”

He placed his finger over her lips, stopping her. “No. We’ve been over this already. No apologies. We’ve made it, that is all that matters.”

Evelyn gave him an affectionate look, then slipped her arms around him, and hugged him. “You’re right,” she murmured against his chest. “That is all that matters.”

A soft, contented sigh escaped her when she felt his arms envelop her, and he pressed a kiss to the top of her head.

“I love you, Evelyn,” Douglas whispered into her hair.

“I love you, too,” she responded, and squeezed him a little tighter.

Suddenly, the door to their room flew open, startling them apart as the ladies of the Marigold Hotel breezed inside. 

“Douglas!” Madge exclaimed. “What are you still doing here? You’re supposed to be down in the courtyard.”

“I… I wanted to see Evelyn before -”

“There’s no time for that,” Madge cut him off. “Now get out of here, and let us finish getting Evelyn ready.”

Douglas opened, then closed his mouth, realizing he was outnumbered, and looked to Evelyn.

She smiled at him, then slid her hands up to his shoulders, then rose up on her toes to give him a loving kiss. “Go on… I’ll be right behind you.”

Douglas nodded. “Don’t be too long.”

“She won’t be. Now shoo!” Madge told him.

Douglas stroked Evelyn’s cheek with his fingers, and whispered, “I’ll be waiting.”

Evelyn nodded, and watched him as he left their suite.

“Mrs. Donnelly was right,” Chandrima said, moving to stand beside Evelyn, “he’s got it bad.”

Evelyn chuckled. “The feeling is quite mutual.”

“Well then, let’s finished getting you ready, and down there so you can finally marry that man,” Madge told her.

The others: Carol, Chadrima and Sunaina all nodded their agreement.

**~*ED*~**

“There. All finished,” Sunaina said with a smile, then urged her to turn around. “What do you think?”

Evelyn turned to look at herself in the full-length mirror.

Carol had styled her hair (though in actuality, she’d done little more than fluff it up a tad more than was usual), and Sunaina had applied her makeup.

Her dress, Evelyn smiled. She loved her dress.

It was a light cotton, woven in several shades of blue (from one of the many fabrics she’d bought over the last year), which she’d had made into an empire waist style dress.

She looked…

“Beautiful.”

All eyes turned to see Evelyn’s son standing in the doorway.

“You look beautiful, ma.”

“Thank you, Henry.” Evelyn smiled at him.

“Ladies, may I have a few moments alone with my mother?” Henry asked.

“Of course,” Madge replied, shooing the others out of the room. “Just don’t be too long,” she told him, as she followed them out.

“You really do look beautiful, ma,” Henry said, once they were alone.

Evelyn smiled, and thanked him again.

“Ma… are you certain about this?”

“About marrying Douglas?”

Henry nodded.

Evelyn’s smile grew. “Yes. I am very certain,” she answered, without hesitation. It had taken her eight months to realize she had no need, no reason, to be afraid of her feelings for Douglas. Once she had acknowledged her feelings, and faced her fears, she’d fully embraced those feelings, and had jumped into their relationship with both feet.

As a consequence, she’d never been happier.

She walked over to stand before her son, and looked up at him. “I love him, Henry. Not in the same way I loved your father, but I love him very much.”

Henry regarded her for several moments, then slowly nodded.

“He’s a good man,” she told him.

“I can see that,” he remarked. “And it’s quite obvious that he’s crazy about you.”

Evelyn laughed.

“What did I say?”

She shook her head, then gave him a small smile. “A friend who used to live here, who left us, was rather fond of saying that very thing.”

“I see,” Henry said, then squared his shoulders. “I know this is a little late, and I don’t really know what you have planned, but may I do the honour of escorting you down the aisle to your new husband?”

Evelyn’s eyes filled with tears, and she nodded. “I would love that,” she answered, then wrapped her arms around him. “Thank you, darling.”

“I love you, ma,” Henry told her, and ducked his head to kiss her on the cheek once she released him.

Evelyn smiled up at him. “I love you, too.”

Henry offered her his elbow, and she placed her arm in his. “Come on, let’s go get you married.”

**~*ED*~**

Douglas crammed his hands into his trouser pockets, and rocked on his heels, only just restraining himself from pacing, as he waited for Evelyn.

The nerves he’d told Evelyn he did not have were beginning to assert themselves with every passing moment he stood there.

Waiting.

“She’ll be here.”

He turned to see Norman smiling at him. “It won’t be much longer, and she’ll be here,” Norman told him again. “She loves you. Any fool can see it.”

A small snort of amusement escaped Douglas.

“What’s so funny?” Norman asked.

“I thought I was the one with the heart-shaped eyes.”

“You are,” Norman replied. “But so is she.”

Douglas shook his head.

“If you don’t believe me, look for yourself,” Norman told him, gesturing with his head.

The air rushed out of his lungs, and his heart felt as if it was going to burst out of his chest when he turned to see Evelyn standing in the archway of the hotel’s courtyard entrance, on her son’s arm.

She was even more beautiful than when he’d seen her thirty minutes earlier.

His eyes found hers as Henry began to lead her across the courtyard toward him. The love he could see shining in her face as she neared calmed whatever bit of nervousness he might have felt in an instant.

It was only when Henry placed his mother’s hand in his, that Douglas found his breath again.

“Hello, love,” he greeted her softly, smiling when she squeezed his hand, and gave him a broad smile.

**~*DE*~**

“They make a lovely couple.”

Henry Greenslade turned to look at the young woman standing at his shoulder – his new step-sister – and nodded. “Yes, they do.”

“I have never seen my father so happy,” Laura told him, then looked up to meet Henry’s eyes. “He really does love your mother, you know.”

“I know. It’s just not easy seeing my mother with someone who isn’t my father,” Henry admitted. “Even at my age.”

“I suspect it isn’t.”

“It doesn’t bother you?” he asked.

Laura shook her head. “No. My mother and father are much better off apart. They are both much happier now.”

Henry nodded his understanding.

“Not a day will go by where dad won’t do everything he can to make Evelyn happy.”

“Of that, I have no doubt.” Henry nodded. “We spent some time together the other day, and my mother’s right, he is a good man.” He met Laura’s eyes again. “He’s made ma happier than I’ve seen her since I was a boy.”

Laura smiled.

“I know it doesn’t seem like it, but I really am quite happy for them,” he told her.

“I’m glad to hear that.”

Henry grinned then. “I always wanted a little sister, I just did not think I’d have to wait over thirty years for her.”

Laura laughed, and Henry’s grin grew.

**~*ED*~**

“You’re glowing.”

“Am I?”

“Yes. You are. In fact, you look positively radiant.”

Evelyn smiled up at Douglas as they danced. “It’s because I’m happy.”

“Are you truly?” he asked her.

Evelyn stopped moving, and nodded. She knew why he was asking; why there was a hint of uncertainty still lingering in his blue eyes. Uncertainty she knew was there because of her initial hesitation in moving their relationship forward after Jean left him.

“Yes, I am,” she told him in a soft, but firm voice. “Douglas, I did not marry you out of any sense of pity, or any form of loneliness. I married you because you make me laugh; because I enjoy being with you, and want to spend the rest of my life with you.”

She moved her hand from its place on his arm, to lay it on his chest.

“I married you because I love you, Douglas.” Evelyn said firmly. “And that makes me happier than I have been in a very long time.”

Evelyn saw the remaining wisp of uncertainty fade away, allowing only the love she’d seen for the last ten months to shine through fully. The sight warmed her heart.

Douglas brushed the backs of his fingers over her cheek, then grasped her face between both of his hands. He leaned down, and brushed his lips over hers before covering her mouth with his, and kissing her deeply.

Evelyn slid one hand up his chest to rest on his shoulder, the other slipping around his waist as she responded to the kiss.

Douglas’ hands dropped from her face to her shoulders, then smoothed down her back to draw her body closer.

As one, still kissing, they began to sway to the music. Little by little, the kiss came to an end, and they smiled at each other.

“I love you, Evelyn Ainslie,” Douglas whispered.

Evelyn’s smile grew. “I love you, Douglas Ainslie.”


End file.
